Best Campgrounds near Carlsbad Caverns, NM

The main manager is a total female hating bitch and is rude anytime we come in and we’ve stayed at this rv park for months. It’s got nice amenities but the pool that is included in the price is NEVER open. Nice for a weekend stay but not recommended.

We stayed 3 nights. They have 3 spots next to each other (with some space) in full sun, dirt-road style, no tables at sites. The cool thing is that you’re in an oasis. It got to 89 degrees and we sat under the trees with our chairs & we used their picnic tables waiting for it to cool off. We do not have AC in our Scamp. Showers had very hot water & were clean. Note that despite it stating that they have full hookups, the sewer pipes are next to site A. So it’s really a dump station area. The owner & staff were really nice.

You'll definitely need 4wd low and plenty of clearance to get to the canyon, but any of the spots here were nice. We made it up two ridges before it got too dark to continue, but the view of Carlsbad was worth the drive up.

We didn't stay. Trash all over the place and dudes just sitting in their vehicles doing nothing. If I was armed and alone, I might have stayed.

We are staying in this campground because it’s free, fairly easy access to Carlsbad Caverns, and not terribly far away. It’s rough camping, with only a dumpster as a service, but it’s a large level parking lot. Not that many RVs can stay in here, and if they were tightly packed maybe 50. Good choice for when you don’t want to pay for the stuff that’s closer to the caverns.

I did tent camping and was the only one there. If more were camping you may have close neighbors. Bathrooms were clean.

It's definitely not a 5-star resort. Could use some improvements but lack the staff. They have full hookups. Showers are hot but no frills. Nice laundry room. Covered picnic table. Everything you need for a quick stay to see the caverns.

Found this gem while enroute from Guadalupe Mtn Peak to Carlsbad NM Enjoyed a peaceful night with other Boondockers. Beautiful night for star gazing! ¯_(ツ)_/¯

We really enjoyed this spot! We arrived in a small Subaru and the road got pretty rough and rocky quick, so we could only make it up to the second site. Even so, it was still far enough from the road and other sites that we did not hear any noise from traffic or other campers. Easy, safe feeling place to stop for the night.

If you are not from the desert like us, be warned - the desert wind in March is COLD and POWERFUL! We couldn't set up our tent because of it and ended up sleeping in the car for the night we were here.

There is quite a bit of space so we were able to spread out. Just outside of the official campground there’s plenty of blm land to camp on as well. The stars were stunning.

Worth noting: We came in late at night and missed the turn off for this campground a few times before finding it. Watch out for cacti as they can sneak up on you. It is also worth noting that it’s a byotp situation with the bathroom.

Nice, easy to get to, large lot for parking/RV campers. I parked my car and car camped here while visiting Guadeloupe Mountains, it was a nice quiet spot even though it was pretty busy. There were firepits i believe, not sure if there were porta potties or not.

Very large open lot with large bin for trash collection. It’s easy to drive in/out off a main paved road.

We arrived late at night, so we couldn’t see the surrounding area. The road is a bit rough, but driving slowly should be fine in a car. The wind kept us cool overnight.

Visited in Feb. Very close to Carlsbad Caverns. Definitely go slow going up unless you have a higher rig (I'm in a jeep) lots of large rocks but the view is worth it. A few other rigs but you all kind of have your own spot. Super windy at night which was nice with the heat.

Close to both National Parks.

Drove back far enough so it's quiet without the noise from hwy 62. Great cell coverage! Maybe 3 others campers in a big space.

This was by far one of my favorite spots and it's free. Just like a National park site. Just a pit toilet. No water. Beautiful spot sunset, sunrise and stars. I stayed one night when going to Carlsbad Caverns NP. Then went to Guadalupe Mountains NP.

GUMO has tent camping with more typical sites. Water and pits toilets. RV camping sites are in a medium sized parking lot. Sites 21-25 have picnic tables. No fires

We moved from our free dispersed campsite to fill up, charge up, shower and do laundry. Very friendly staff and clean facilities. It appears to be heavily used during peak season at Carlsbad Caverns. We treated ourselves to a delicious burger at the Cactus Cafe after our last tour the the caverns.

We stayed three nights for free while hiking and exploring Guadalupe Mountain NP and Carlsbad Caverns NP. Plenty of space and a room to let the dog explore. Close to both parks. Even in January the spots stayed full but there is lots of room around the parameter. We preferred those spots as it kept more distance from the other campers.